Why Netflix Changes When You Travel

If you’ve ever traveled outside your country, you may have noticed that you get more or less Netflix content depending on where you go.

Netflix subscribers in the United States, Canada and Japan get more Netflix content than Netflix subscribers in other parts of the world. As soon as they cross the border into another country, though, they get less.

Because Netflix is notoriously secretive, it’s not easy to pin down why some regions get more content than others. However, competition (or lack thereof) likely plays a key factor.

Netflix gives more content to subscribers in regions where there are many competing streaming services. In areas with low competition, Netflix subscribers get less movies and shows.

Fortunately, you don’t have to actually travel to a different country to get more Netflix content. You can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to “geo-hop” into other regions instead.

VPN Technology: How Does It Work?

VPNs are changing the way the internet works.

Without a VPN, governments and advertisers can track everything you do on the internet. With a VPN, you’re basically invisible.

Ordinarily, anyone with the right tools and level of access can easily determine your computer’s location or view what you’re doing on the internet. However, VPN technology makes it impossible for anyone to know where you’re located or what you’re doing online.

Once you log into a VPN server, the only location information about you that shows up on the internet is related to whatever VPN server you happen to be using at the time. Or in other words: all you have to do to fake your location is log into a VPN server that’s located in another country.

So-called “location spoofing” comes in handy when you want to avoid geographic blocks and filters.

VPN Technology in Action

Netflix gives its subscribers more or less content depending on where it thinks they’re located.

If you ever travel to Hungary, you’ll only be able to watch 171 TV shows and 548 movies unless you use a VPN to make it look like you’re somewhere else. Many other countries have even smaller Netflix libraries. For example, Netflix subscribers in Thailand can only access 94 TV shows and 210 movies.

Once you get a VPN that works with Netflix, you’ll be able to find and play loads more TV shows and movies.

Ordinarily, AMC’s The Walking Dead is not available in my region. If I don’t use a VPN, all I get is a suggestion to watch Night of the Living Dead when I search for it.

Because I live outside the US, I can’t get The Walking Dead without a VPN. Source: Flixed.io

But if I use a VPN to log onto American Netflix, I can search for and play The Walking Dead episodes.

Once you log into a VPN, you can access any Netflix region from anywhere in the world. Source: Flixed.io

Now that other Netflix regions are catching up with the United States, some Americans are using VPNs to access Netflix titles that are only available in Japan, Canada or in the UK.

Once you get a Netflix VPN, you won’t be limited to American Netflix. You can check out any Netflix region that you want to explore.

In February, we discovered that Japan now has more movies than American Netflix. Even though most of the movies in the Japanese Netflix catalog are Japanese-language films, you can still enjoy them if you don’t understand Japanese by turning on English subtitles.

Not All VPN Services Work with Netflix

In order to prevent their subscribers from accessing blocked content, Netflix has tried to put a blanket ban on VPN usage. As a result, many VPNs no longer work with Netflix. However, some still do.

Does IPVanish Work with American Netflix?

No, IPVanish does not work with American Netflix.

After reaching out to IPVanish to see whether or not a Netflix workaround is available, an IPVanish customer support agent explained that IPVanish no longer works with Netflix:

“We apologize for the inconvenience and for not addressing this in a more convenient way but despite our best technical efforts, IPVanish can no longer support access to BBC / SkyGo / Amazon / Netflix / Hulu etc. Our hope is to make IPVanish work with as many websites as possible, but it is more important for us to remain transparent with you about this restriction. The BBC / SkyGo / Amazon / Netflix / Hulu etc. has taken measures to block all VPN connections from IPVanish. Though we have implored the network not to target those protecting their online privacy with our service, these pleas have fallen on deaf ears.” – IPVanish customer support

Which VPN Services Work With American Netflix?

NordVPN and ExpressVPN both work with American Netflix.

Though NordVPN and ExpressVPN are similar, there are some differences you should be aware of before you decide which one to join.

With low prices and reliable service, NordVPN is one of the all-around best VPN services for accessing American Netflix abroad. However, if you’ve never used a VPN before, you may want to go with a VPN service that has better customer support.

Pros

NordVPN allows for up to 6 simultaneous connections, so it’s ideal for large families. Also, NordVPN has a unique built-in ad blocking feature.

Cons

NordVPN’s monthly payment plan is pricey. If you pay for two years of service in advance, however, the fees aren’t so bad. In addition, customer support is a bit slow.

Apps

NordVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS (iPhone and iPad).

Payment plans

NordVPN has a $12 monthly plan, a $79 2-year plan and a $69 1-year plan.

The 1-month plan makes sense if you’re traveling abroad for a short period of time and want American Netflix access while you’re away. However, if you live outside of the United States and need long term American Netflix access, the 2-year plan is the better deal.

Getting started

Once you log onto the NordVPN website, just click the Downloads icon and download the installer.

You can download NordVPN software from the “My Account” page. Source: NordVPN

Then, open the installer and click Next until you reach the final installation step to accept all the default installation options. Once the program is finished installing, click Finish to close the installer.

Once you log into NordVPN, you’ll see a map. On the top of the map, you’ll find three menus: map, countries and settings.

This is the first screen you’ll encounter when you log into the NordVPN app. Source: NordVPN

Choose Countries, then scroll down until you see the United States.

When you move your mouse over the United States, the menu text will change from United States to Connect to the United States.

This page lets you log into various international NordVPN servers. Source: NordVPN

Click the gray power icon to connect. Once you’re logged in, the power icon will turn green.

Pick a United States server to log into American Netflix. Source: NordVPN

Now that you’ve connected, all you have to do is open a browser and log into Netflix. Because you’re using an American VPN server to access Netflix, Netflix will assume that you’re located inside the US. As a result, you will be able to find and play thousands of additional movies and TV shows that aren’t normally available abroad.

If you’ve never used a VPN before, ExpressVPN is worth a look. ExpressVPN has excellent customer support, plus it is simple to use and it works with a wide range of devices.

Pros

With apps for Linux and Blackberry, ExpressVPN works with more devices compared to competing VPN services. Also, ExpressVPN’s software is intuitive and easy to use. In addition, ExpressVPN’s customer support team always responds within seconds to any request.

Cons

Even with 3 free months, ExpressVPN is expensive. Another disadvantage is the 3 simultaneous connection limit. Also, not all of ExpressVPN’s servers work with Netflix. You have to contact support to find out which ones to use.

Apps

ExpressVPN works with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS (iPhone and iPad), Linux and Blackberry.

Payment plans

ExpressVPN’s $13 monthly plan and $60 6-month plan aren’t very good deals. However, if you pay for 15 months of service in advance you can get ExpressVPN for $100, or $6.67 a month.

Like NordVPN, ExpressVPN gives you 3 different ways to pay. Source: ExpressVPN

How to get started

First, go to the ExpressVPN website and pick a payment plan. Once you buy a plan, ExpressVPN will send you your user name and password via email.

Use your credentials to log onto ExpressVPN’s website.

Now that you’ve logged in, your screen should look like this:

Click the green button to download the ExpressVPN installer.

After you’ve installed ExpressVPN, copy the Activation code from the ExpressVPN website and paste it into the ExpressVPN app.

You need to enter in an activation code to log into ExpressVPN’s app. Source: ExpressVPN

Now all you have to do is connect to one of ExpressVPN’s Netflix-compatible American servers.

To find out which server to use with Netflix, first go to the ExpressVPN website and send a message to customer support.

If you want to get to American Netflix abroad, you have to contact ExpressVPN’s support team. Source: ExpressVPN

Next, pull up the ExpressVPN app and click Choose Location. Then, connect to the American server that the customer support rep told you to use for Netflix.

NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Which VPN is Better for Netflix?

The final answer depends on a variety of factors.

If you think you may need technical help…

If you’ve never used a VPN before, you may want to go with ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is slightly pricer, but its customer support team responds immediately to any request. All you have to do is pull up a chat window and type in your question. A technician will respond almost immediately. NordVPN’s also has chat support, but you have to dig around on the site to find the chat option and you usually have to wait a while for a response.

If you’re on a budget…

ExpressVPN is somewhat expensive compared to typical VPN services. If you’re on a budget, you may want to go with NordVPN.

If you use Linux or Blackberry…

If you have a device that runs Linux or Blackberry, you’ll probably want to get ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN has apps for Linux and Blackberry. NordVPN does not.

If you have a large family…

NordVPN is a better deal for big families because you can connect to up to 6 devices at the same time through one account. ExpressVPN limits you to 3 simultaneous connections. If you want more connections, you have to pay extra to upgrade your account.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, IPVanish does not work with American Netflix anymore.

In 2016, Netflix decided to go to war with VPN services and attempt to block them all. IPVanish decided to stop coming up with Netflix workarounds shortly thereafter.

Fortunately, some VPN services are still dedicated to helping their customers access American Netflix abroad.

NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two of the best VPN services that still work with Netflix.

ExpressVPN is more expensive and doesn’t have as many security features as NordVPN. However, ExpressVPN’s superior customer support makes it a good choice for Netflix subscribers that don’t have much experience using VPNs.

Join the Flixed Weekly Newsletter!

Receive our weekly roundup of the best cord-cutting news, tips, and tutorials. Happily bundled and delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Affiliate Disclosure

Flixed.io's contributors and editorial team will often recommend products we believe to be useful for our readers. We may receive an affiliate commission from product sales generated through these affiliate links. For more details, please see our affiliate disclosure here.